Assessment of Vertical Distribution of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils Affected by Military Actions in Eastern Ukraine

The article assesses the vertical distribution and dynamics of heavy metals in agricultural soils contaminated by military actions in eastern Ukraine. In the conditions of ongoing hostilities, field and laboratory studies were conducted in four plots where military equipment was destroyed. Significant exceedance of background (pollution load index up to 16.7) and maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) in the 0–30 cm and 30–60 cm layers was observed suggesting vertical migration of pollutants. The highest concentrations were recorded for Zn at the site of a damaged fuel tanker: Zn content in the 0–30 cm layer was 4598.9 mg/kg, exceeding MPC by 200 times. With the background level less than 1.23 mg/kg, even in the 30–60 cm layer Zn content remained extremal − 672 mg/kg. To predict contamination dynamics, we parameterized a one-dimensional model based on the Richards and convection-diffusion equations. We propose an approach to its calibration and verification with a limited data. Simulations suggest that heavy metal concentrations in the 0–60 cm layer do not exceed 200% of background concentrations ~5 years after the cessation of pollutants’ ingression. Groundwater contamination at 4 m depth within 10 years is predicted to remain limited.